Pro-Turkey factions continue their violations against the citizens of Afrin through more abductions that target them

23/08/2019

6 minutes read

Turkish-backed Free Syrian army fighters ride on a back of a truck in Afrin, Syria March 19, 2018. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Aleppo Province – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that a faction operating within the Turkish-backed operation “Olive Branch”, has kidnapped a Kurdish citizen from Al-Ashrafiyah neighborhood in Afrin city and took him to unknown destination without clarifying the reasons, it is noteworthy that the citizen had been arrested in earlier occasions then released.

And the SOHR published on the 15th of August 2019, that violations continue by the pro-Turkish factions against the Kurdish citizens in Afrin city and its countryside northwest of Aleppo, where the villages of Afrin countryside are witnessing continuous arrests and abductions under various pretexts and accusations, most notably “former intelligence with the self-administration” however, the aim of these arrests in general is paying a ransom for the release of abductees and detainees, while imposing the royalties continues on agricultural crops and private property of citizens, where Afrin has become an arena for sharing livelihood of civilians by factions controlling the area, without any party stopping them of the Turkish Forces who claimed that they came to rid the citizens of “terrorism”, while the Syrian Observatory published on the 13th of August 2019 that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that members of the Turkish-backed faction of al-Hamza; imposed material amounts as an “Eid al-Adha greeting” on citizens of Basutah area, Burj Abdalo, and Aindara in Afrin countryside, where the amount imposed reached 5000 Syrian pounds on each family that owns farms which have been harvested, this comes as a part of the continuous violations against the Kurdish citizens who remained in Afrin and refused to be displaced, while the Syrian Observatory published on the 5th of August 2019 that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the pro-Turkish faction of “Sultan Murad”, which controls Koblak village in Sharan area in township of Afrin are northwest of Aleppo, imposed a financial “royalty” of US$ 200 on all residents in houses that do not belong to them, even if they live in homes of relatives or if they tenanted them with contracts certified by the local council of the village, amid threat to expel and arrest them if they refuse to pay, and the Syrian Observatory published on the 3rd of August 2019 that violations continue against the Kurdish citizens by the Turkey–backed factions which control Afrin area in the northwestern countryside of Aleppo, where these factions continue their violations by carrying out arbitrary arrest against tens of citizens, during which various charges and pretexts were used such as “personal claims, being an agent for outside party, former affiliation of the self-administration” and others, and require them to pay deferent amounts of money to release them as usual, where the Syrian Observatory documented the arrest of more than 70 people in the past few days most of them were released after paying between 100000 to 250000 Syrian pounds per person, and the Syrian Observatory published yesterday that the factions operating within the operation “Olive Branch”, have been continuing to commit more violations against the citizens of Afrin and its countryside through thefts, kidnapping and extortions, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that an armed group of one of the pro-Turkey factions, has kidnapped 3 citizens of the people of Jwayq village in the north-west of Afrin city and took them to unknown destination.

And the SOHR published on the 25th of July 2019, that violations by the factions of “Olive Branch” continue against the Kurdish residents of Afrin city and its countryside, in the shadow of the Turkish silence about the continued kidnappings that target them, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that factions operating within the operation “Olive Branch”, have kidnapped a doctor from Afrin city, in Al-Ashrafiyah neighborhood within Afrin city, and after being kidnapped, members of the rebel factions contacted with the doctor’s wife who lives in an European country and asked her to send 3000 US dollars to a specific place in Idlib province in return for releasing him, and in the same context, the SOHR learned that the fighters of the Turkish-backed factions have carried out a campaign of raids and arrests in Marawaniyeh and Anqalah villages, which resulted in arresting 5 residents from these villages, then they were taken to unknown destination without clarifying the reasons.

And the SOHR published short time ago, that unidentified gunmen attacked positions of Al-Sham Corps that is loyal to Turkey, in Shirawa Township in the countryside of Afrin city, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights; 6 members of Al-Sham Corps including a commander, were killed and 3 other members were injured after an attack by unidentified gunmen on positions of the faction in Fafartin village in Shirawa Township in the countryside of Afrin city

And the SOHR published on the 23rd of July 2019, that several factions loyal to Turkey, which are in control of Afrin area north-west of Aleppo, started to impose new royalties of another kind over the Kurdish residents in the area, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory; the faction of Al-Amshat which is in control of Durmeshkanly village in Sharran Township, started to force the village’s residents to periodically feed the fighters who are present there, on the pretext of protecting them and protecting their agricultural crops, while members of the same faction confiscated the Sumac harvest of the locals of Kakhrah village in Maabatli Township, and sold it to close merchants and imposed royalties as “brokerages”, while members of Sultan Murad faction who are present in Darkair village in Maabatli Township, have confiscated the residents’ livelihoods on baseless pretexts such as “co-operation and communication with the Autonomous Administration”, and stolen the Sumac harvest like what happened by the members of Al-Samarqand Brigade who are in control of Rutanly village, and who also forced the locals to feed the fighters, while the SOHR learned that members of one of the Turkish –backed factions have blocked the way of vehicles carrying Sumac in Raju Township, and let them pass only after paying sums of money ranged between 1000 and 20000 SYL, and the Syrian Observatory published on the 20th of July 2019, that the factions operating within the Turkey-loyal “Olive Branch” operating room; continue all sorts of human rights violations against the Kurdish citizens, including the Kurdish and Arab citizens of Afrin who refused to be displaced and decided to stay in their areas, these factions continue their policy to displace them through kidnappings, threats, looting, stealing, repression, killing, and seizing their homes and property, the Syrian Observatory in turn continues to monitor the violations of these factions, where members of Ahrar al-Sharqiyyah faction took over a citizen’s house in Afrin city on the pretext that he is located in Aleppo, where they threatened his mother to kill her if she filed a complaint against them, also gunmen belong to factions in Afrin city kidnapped a teacher from her home in the city, they also kidnapped a man and his wife near Marata roundabout in Afrin city and took them to an unknown destination, where 2090 citizens were arrested of Afrin’s people including more than 3000 people who are still in detention, since the Turkish control over the are completely on the 19th of March 2018, while the rest were released after most of them paid ransom imposed by members of the “Olive Branch” Operation, sometimes it reached more than 10 million Syrian pounds, where the Syrian Observatory monitored more than once that the factions send audio or video clips to families of the abducted people, and impose money without bargaining, along with threats of liquidating their relatives if the desired amount of money was not paid, also the factions who were given authority by Turkey in the area -after international silence that has given power to Turkey in Afrin- carried out arrests against both genders, men and women, after these factions turned the kidnappings and ransom on charges the most prominent of which are “belonging to the Kurdish Forces and communicating and working for them”, where kidnapping for a ransom has become a popular trade adopted by most factions, in an attempt to collect the largest possible amount of money, and to clamp down on the remaining population in the region, and the SOHR monitored that the factions have transferred abductees to detention and custody centers made up of civilian homes that were seized and turned by them into headquarters for the pro-Turkey factions, which share influence and property in Afrin, and from time to time carry out looting and confiscation of property and funds.

the Syrian Observatory published on the 19th of July 2019, that a citizen died after an armed robbery carried out by unknown people against the citizen’s house on Jandairis road, where the man was strangled to death, this comes as a part of the chaos and insecurity in areas of control of the Turkey-loyal factions in Aleppo province, and in the same context, al-Jabha al-Shamiyyah faction arrested a man and his son in Ma’arasta al-Khatib village in Afrin countryside, on charges of belonging to YPG during their control of the area, and the Syrian Observatory published on the 18th of July 2019 that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that a force of the “Free Police” backed by Turkey raided Dikmdash village in Sharan township in Afrin countryside, and arrested at least 5 citizens and took them to unknown destination, also the fate of the woman who was abducted from Trenda checkpoint at the entrance to Afrin city is still unknown, while the Turkish Forces removed Bulbul camp which they set up about a year ago, but no information about the reasons and motives, where its contents and equipment were moved to unknown destination, while the pro Turkey factions arrested more than 28 people of the Kurdish citizens from different areas in Afrin and its countryside after the bombing that hit Trenda checkpoint at the entrance of the city, and the Syrian Observatory published on the 13th of July 2019 that the Turkish-backed factions of “Olive Branch”, have carried out a campaign of arrests within separated areas of the countryside of Afrin city, where they arrested more than 10 persons in Sheikh Hadid Township, Sharran, Maabatli and Jendires in Afrin countryside north-west of Aleppo, under various pretexts, in order to ask for ransoms in return for releasing them later.